


Trust in Doubt

by Genuinelies



Series: Trust in Need [2]
Category: Warcraft (2016), World of Warcraft
Genre: Established relationship (kind of), LionTrust, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:36:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7222558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genuinelies/pseuds/Genuinelies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Khadgar predictably holes himself up with his responsibilities once again. Anduin, in a better frame of mind than when we last saw him, goes to find him.</p><p>The first story "Trust in Need" can be read as a standalone; this is mostly a companion piece.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trust in Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> We spent three hours running Karazhan last night ^^; Yanno, just to help poor Khadgar out.
> 
> *does the addiction-dance*
> 
> Actual note: I'm not sure at what point the tower starts to get taken over, so I think we can assume anything I write is going to diverge from canon events with regard to WoW lore.
> 
> Still think their characterizations are a little off, but I'm trying ^^;

Let it not be said that Anduin Lothar was not a patient man.

Indeed, he didn’t really know anyone who would accuse him of that. Between the raising of his son, and his dedication to his people and loyalty to his family and the king, he didn’t need anyone other than himself to thrive. No one would say that he was not strong, and stable, and whole.

Yet with that in mind, still he found himself ordering his soldiers into grueling training sessions, while he himself attacked the training dummies so as to not injure one of his men.

It had been three weeks since he had lain with the mage Khadgar, and three weeks since he’d seen the other man.

He knew that what lay ahead of them was not the sunset of old age and a quiet porch. He couldn’t imagine either of them wanting that, it nearly turned his stomach to think of idleness. However, knowing that his life could end at any time had taught him that happiness was only to be found in the current moment. And the current moment was a time of quiet peace, while the war was on standby.

He hacked viciously at the wooden dummy, splintering it down the middle. He huffed and panted at it in irritation, then sighed, composing himself and turning. “Enough for today. Good work.  Dismissed.”

His men and women admirably filed away silently. He knew the taverns would be full of their complaints and chatter, but it didn’t bother him any. He knew he’d earned their ire, and while there was a little worm of guilt in his stomach, he couldn’t do anything about that now.

He shook his head at himself and promised them silently a day off.

Anduin unwrapped the rags that kept his hands from blistering and threw them on the ground.

 _This,_  he reminded himself.  _This is why you can’t divide your focus. Your king needs you. Your sister needs you._ It was all so much water under the bridge. Khadgar had been right about one thing he’d said to him before – he couldn’t keep running off to Karazhan. His duty lay here, and that duty was the core of his soul. No less than that, and no more deep thinking needed. He needed to put this distraction to rest, and move on with his life.

 _This was a lot easier,_  came the whispered inner thought,  _when you had Callan around._

But his son had died a hero’s death, and he could not be prouder. He would never be at peace with his loss, but neither could he continue his obsession with the past.

He kicked at the rags in the dirt before heading off to clean up.

#

“Anduin,” Taria said at dinner, “Why don’t you give yourself and your troops a day off tomorrow?”

Anduin didn’t bother to conceal the roll of his eyes. “Why didn’t I think of that,” he muttered.

Taria smiled at him. “Good. I haven’t seen your mage around here lately. How is he doing?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young king Varian playing with the peas on his plate, watching the two adults talking unsubtly.

“My mage,” was what he could bring himself to say.

“He’s as much yours as anyone’s,” was his sister’s placid response.

“That,” Anduin announced, “is a joke. He keeps to himself. He loves his own council. He doesn’t want me-us-anyone, anyone looking in on him, and the light forbid that someone might think it dangerous after what happened with the last guardian for him to be on his own in that cursed tower!”

Varian gave up all pretense and watched him with careful eyes.

Anduin winked at the boy to distract him and launched a pea across the table. It landed neatly in the helmet of one of the guards standing watch. Varian giggled, stifling it quickly, and Anduin shot the guard an apologetic grin. He saw the man’s mouth twitch upward in mirroring amusement.

“You think he’s a risk?” Taria sounded wary, and surprised.

“To himself,” Anduin grumbled. “He doesn’t know what half the spells he’s trying will do. Last time I saw him he asked if he could use me as a test subject, and his only reassurance was, ‘I think this won’t kill us, but-‘”

Taria outright laughed. “You spent our childhood teasing me, and now you can’t recognize it in another?”

Anduin ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. “He has enough books and magic to keep him occupied for the next century. We won’t be seeing Khadgar any time soon.”

Taria gave him an assessing look, but kindly changed the topic.

#

It was with no small amount of disgust with himself that the next day, Anduin Lothar found himself landing his griffon in the wasteland outside of Karazhan. He yanked thick spiderwebs from the poor animal’s feathers before sending it on its way to wait for his summons.

Not bothering to knock, he strode inside, and opened his mouth to announce himself, but was cut off before he could.

"Close the door!" Khadgar's disembodied voice hissed, a bit frantically. "Quickly, grab that book nearest you-“

"What trouble have you gotten yourself into now, mage?"

"Quickly!"

Puzzled, but not mistaking the note of worry in his friend’s voice, he moved to the bookshelf closest to him. It only had three books on it. Cocking his head in question he reached for the middle tome.

“No, not that one - no, not that one either, I said quickly! Oh, for-" the words turned unfamiliar and powerful, and the room glowed blue with magic. "Damn it, Anduin, black, gold lettering, with the three symbols down the spine - yes, now toss that here but don't come closer. No closer, I said!"

The second the book left his hand, Anduin was encased in a bubble of light, an echo of the one Khadgar had protected him with when he had released the Fel from Medivh.

"Khadgar!" He slapped his hands against the barrier and was shocked backward for his efforts. "Khadgar," he said warningly, "What is going on?" 

"No. Distractions!" Khadgar bit out.

“Let me out,” He made his tone a threat. Dread coursed through his veins, along with the feeling that he’d been in this very position not long ago, watching from behind a veil of magic helplessly as his son was run through by a monster. “Now!”

All that he got in response was a thread of spell-words. Seconds followed of heartrending silence before the blue receded and Khadgar appeared from somewhere, a slight cut above his left eye trickling blood onto his cheek. He didn’t seem to be aware of it. His expression was miffed. “I said no distractions! There will come a time when you’ll really need to listen to me, Lothar.”

The last-name-basis thing had Anduin sneering to cover his reaction. “You’re so sure it won’t be the other way around, spell-chucker?”

Khadgar wasn’t so good at hiding his flinch. “It would be good for both of us to learn to listen, I imagine,” he said, his voice small.

It was then that Anduin noticed the trembling in the mage’s hands. Softening he stepped forward and brushed the blood away from his eyebrow with a caress. Khadgar’s brown eyes widened, vulnerably, before shutting down into a glower.

“I thought I told you to stay away from here.” Khadgar stepped away from him and made a show of looking for something on the ground.

The library was in better order than when he’d last seen it, but there were still books scattered everywhere across the floor, and the dust and rubble hadn’t cleaned themselves up. Finally Khadgar bent and picked up a simple, leatherbound tome and shelved it primly. “Won’t be trying that one again,” he whispered to himself musingly, then added, “for a while.”

Anduin watched his movements, slack-jawed. It was as if he weren’t even present. He cleared his throat to cover his uncertainty. “And it was a good thing I didn’t listen,” he said pointedly.

“How’s that?” Khadgar glanced at him.

He didn’t like how closed off the mage’s normally clear eyes were.

“Something about needing a book, fending something off with magic, a bleeding forehead…I know there’s a connection there, I just can’t put my finger on it…”

Tight-lipped, Anduin watched as Khadgar paced the room, doing idle tasks to avoid standing in front of him. He sighed loudly. “Fine, then. Tell me what’s going on here.”

"The thing is, when you release that much energy all at once, it's noticeable."

"And you're saying this place has been noticed," Anduin narrowed his eyes.

"By many entities. There are only a few of concern for the moment. You saw the spiders flying in?"

"No, I did not see the man-sized spiders that tried to kill me and my griffon at least twenty times. Not sure how I missed them."

Khadgar continued as if he hadn't heard him. "Then there are other, less noticeable things. Shades. That one had kept me occupied for the last several days."

"You're saying it's good I came to check on you," Anduin smiled guilelessly.

"I would have handled it," Khadgar disputed.

"Yes. That's why you couldn't cross your library for a book," Anduin frowned.

"It wasn't necessary, per se, I just couldn't remember that one passage on the shadows - hadn't seen a being like that in the...the, hm. 'The flesh' isn't quite accurate, but it is what I mean."

There was still a spark of blue energy in the younger man's large brown eyes. Anduin wasn't sure that would ever not be unsettling. He took the opportunity of Khadgar being distracted by his knowledge and the arcane to look him over. He looked energetic, which was good, but there were shadows under his eyes and he smelled like a horse's ass, indications to Anduin of a mania he had seen before in himself, and in others after a battle. "You smell terrible," he said pleasantly.

"It doesn't bother me," Khadgar said, smiling back with a hint of challenge. "And you weren't invited."

"Right then," Anduin grinned. "Are you going to show me to the bathing quarters?"

"I just said that-"

"I was hoping you'd argue," Anduin said, and threw himself forward, tacking the mage around his waist. He clapped a hand over his mouth as soon as they were on the floor.

The blasted mage bit him.

"I've been bitten by orcs before, that's not going to work." He settled himself down on Khadgar's sensitive parts, which, he was pleased to note, were not unresponsive. "It's been three weeks since Goldshire. I thought we'd talked about you not holing yourself up alone in this place."

Khadgar looked confused enough that Anduin removed his palm, just a little, enough to let him move his lips. "Three weeks?"

When Anduin nodded, Khadgar murmured, "Funny. I thought it had been a couple days. I was going to come, but-"

The spell flew out of his mouth before Anduin knew what was happening. Arcane light spun around his wrists. Khadgar was staring at it in fascination, even as Anduin struggled to free himself.

"Didn't know if that would work," Khadgar murmured.

"Proud of yourself?" Anduin smirked, grinding his ass down to prove the point that he was still in charge of the situation.

Khadgar's eyes fluttered and focused again on Anduin's face. He reached a hand forward as if to touch his cheek, but it aborted in midair.

"I've been thinking," he started.

"I thought I told you not to do that," Ice slid down Anduin's throat. He found that if he rocked, his fingertips would brush Khadgar's crotch. He felt the younger man respond beneath him.

"Please, stop," Khadgar said quietly.

Anduin did. He swung his legs off of Khadgar, tottered a couple paces before sitting down ungracefully. There was something in the mage's tone that worried him. It didn’t stop him from leveling a glare in his direction.

“Are you going to explain what has changed, in just three weeks?”

Khadgar slowly pushed himself upright, not meeting Anduin's eyes. "We probably don't need to have this conversation. Let me draw you up a portal. Thank you for your help."

"That must have killed you to say," Anduin pointed out.

"Sacrifices must be made." Though his tone was light and joking, the words didn't settle well with the other man.

Frowning, Anduin decided to tackle the more pressing problem first. He wiggled his arms at Khadgar. "I'll need these."

"Portal first," Khadgar said, standing, his shoulders relaxing in relief. He pulled his magic to him, and it crackled in the air.

"Can you really do two things at once?" Anduin asked. "I've seen you trip and stand still at the same time."

"I could leave them on," Khadgar said distractedly.

"Khadgar, stop," This whole moment was feeling like deja-vu to Anduin. There was something about the tower that was not good for the mage. He didn't dispute the necessity of his being there, but something wasn't right. "Are you really sending me away from this place again? You didn't defeat the Fel in Medivh on your own, or are you forgetting that?"

Khadgar's eyes flickered toward him. "I said that there are things dwelling here, and I need to do some housecleaning before you come back."

"And when will that be? Three months? Three years? You've lost track of time here on your own. You need someone else here with you. Even Medivh had Moroes."

"Are you offering to be my manservant?"

Anduin gritted his teeth and held out his arms. "Just take these damn things off."

Khadgar held up the portal with one hand, and in tandem with motions of his other hand murmured words of power.

"Ow!" Anduin snapped. The bindings had stung him, and were still fully intact.

Khadgar dropped the portal. "Well, that's something I didn't consider."

"Please don't say what you're about to say-"

"I thought I could just reverse the spell, but there must be something more in the passage-"

"Just stop talking," Anduin groaned.

"I wonder what that was?" Khadgar continued, to himself. He bumbled off toward the bookshelves.

Anduin looked speculatively at the row of tomes against the wall in front of him, then hit his head against them.

#

Anduin slumped against the bookshelf, cursing his attachment to the stupid, absentminded mage still muttering to himself in the corner. His shoulders ached. His wrists hurt. He knew Khadgar hadn’t intended harm with his prank, but it had been several hours by his guess and his day off was rapidly whittling away.

The only good thing that came of it was that Khadgar hadn’t sent him away yet, and Anduin could get a good look at the tower and its lone inhabitant. Now that he was absorbed in work, Khadgar looked more like the young man he’d found in Stormwind’s barracks during their first encounter – energetic, obsessed, determined. Since Medivh’s death he’d been more withdrawn and serious. He missed his easy humor and naivete. He knew the one might be gone forever, but he hoped at least to coax the former back out.

Maybe it was just because he knew and respected the mage now that he could see past that innocent face. Maybe this was always who Khadgar had been, and he just hadn’t seen it.

Garona’s betrayal had really had a lasting impact on his self-belief, he mused wryly. “You’re taking too long,” he complained. “Can’t you hurry this up?”

“I have to admit,” Khadgar said, “You are taking this better than I would have thought. Ah! Here it is.”

Anduin looked up in time to see Khadgar absorbed in a spell, blue disks and lines of light spreading out from his fingers.

Behind him, though, was a dark shadow.

“Khadgar!” He was on his feet, struggling to reach his sword. It was no use with the restraints. “Behind you, to your right!”

Khadgar whirled about, shaking the magic from his fingers and calling up a different spell in its place.

“No! Damn it, release me so I can help!”

“I can’t do two things and once and please remember what I said about distractions-“ Khadgar clipped out.

Anduin charged forward only to be encased again in the arcane cage. “You just said you couldn’t do two things at once!” He kicked at the wall of light furiously.

“I lied. Now shut up! Where did that book go?”

“You shelved it!” Anduin spat out.

“Thank you.” The dark creature seemed to be made of smoke, and yet when it slashed at Khadgar, it came away with shreds of his sleeves.

“Let me help!”

Khadgar answered with a babble of magic words, and the shadow creature stumbled back.

“This one’s strong,” Khadgar mumbled after a moment of back and forth. His hand shot backwards behind him and the cage around Anduin dissolved. “The fourth and fifth runes were switched,” he explained, and it took a moment for Anduin to realize he was talking about why he hadn’t been able to dispel his bindings earlier. “Not really sure why that worked anyway, it was a complete mistake and utterly wrong-“

“Stop talking and pay attention!” Anduin yelled as finally, the mage freed his wrists. He lunged forward and sliced at the monster currently slashing up Azeroth’s only guardian. To his grim satisfaction, it shrieked and disappeared, leaving behind a smoking, ball-shaped remnant.

Khadgar cleared it away with a few spoken words, clutching at his left arm. He murmured a few more words and dropped his hand to his side. Anduin supposed he had healed himself.

“And this-“ he gestured to the room. “Has been going on, has it?”

Khadgar was looking at him defiantly, but shrugged a shoulder.

“How do you sleep?”

“I manage.”

Anduin raked a hand over a shelf, knocking tomes to the floor. Alarmed, Khadgar scrambled to get them, but Anduin caught him and held him so their faces where inches apart. “Find yourself a protector, or I’ll do it for you,” he said evenly.

Khadgar swallowed visibly. “I won’t put anyone else-“

“Then let me come to you once a week.”

Khadgar opened his mouth as if to protest. It was all Anduin could do not to press his own against the other’s full lips, but he was honorable, and if Khadgar had lost interest in him, then he would not press him. “Or I’ll send a guard,” he ended.

The mage’s eyes widened. “Stormwind cannot spare them.”

“I’ve given you options. The fate of Azeroth is in your hands, You are as important a charge to our guards as the city itself.”

Khadgar’s gaze flickered, but he remained stubbornly silent. Anduin let him go. Khadgar stumbled back a step, but remained close. He licked his lips. “Anduin…”

“You don’t need to say anything,” Anduin advised gruffly.

“I’m sorry I pushed you away earlier.”

Anduin regarded his face. Khadgar couldn’t seem to find a place to look.

“I’m not used to this, you know. I was under the thumb of the Kirin Tor for so long, and then they sent me farther and farther away, and I left them. I’m used to answering to myself.”

“I know that,” Anduin said, his tone softening. “Look. Khadgar. You’ve lost a friend in Garona as well,”

“I am still not sure that-“

“And your mentor, Medivh. My dear friend. I know how I feel about it, but I’m not sure you do. I’ve had my sister to force me to deal with my losses, but you’re here, with all this-“ Anduin gestured to the tower at large. “-and while distractions can help, they will only serve as a dam. Eventually it will break.”

Khadgar’s eyes flashed. “I’m not weak.”

Anduin clapped a hand on his shoulder. Khadgar seemed to be struggling, for once, with his words.

“I do stink,” he finally admitted, changing topic , a hint of a smile gracing his lips.

Anduin swallowed his sigh. “Like the underside of a naga.”

Khadgar’s fingers closed over his hand. He turned and walked away, then paused by the doorway. "Are you coming?"

Anduin looked at his profile for a long moment, then came to peace with the fact that he was going to have his work cut out for him. He chose a long, pointed look in lieu of a response and followed.

#

The Karazhan baths were made of ornate marble and big enough to house a roster of partygoers, let alone two adult men. Khadgar was meticulously stripping off his clothing piece by piece until Anduin had had enough and tackled him, sending them both into the magic-heated water.

Khadgar splashed him when he came up, wiping water off his face. He shook himself and quickly pealed away the rest of his clothes.

Anduin grinned at him. "Wasn't so hard, was it?"

Khadgar looked like he was caught between wanting to laugh and wanting to pummel him.

The sight made Anduin's grin widen. "Now see, if you'd let me take you here to begin with, we would have had a much nicer day."

That earned him a mouthful of bath water. He sloshed a wave back at Khadgar and as the mage spluttered, he swam closer, pulling them both over to the edge to sit on the submerged seating.

Khadgar finished wiping his face off for a second time, but he was smiling. "In the past, now."

"Absolving yourself of your crimes. How gracious of you."

"Forgiveness is a virtue."

There was an inch of space between them. Considering he’d been invited in, Anduin pointedly closed the gap, pressing their bodies together, side by side.

Khadgar turned and met his eyes. "I do want this between us."

“Then you should make up your mind,” Anduin’s voice, though soft, held a subtle growl.

“I just thought-“

"You think too much."

Khadgar narrowed his eyes, then continued. "-that it would be best for-"

"It's like there's an echo in here," Anduin cut him off. "Please," he groaned. "Do me a favor and never give me this speech again."

They fell into silence, their shoulders and thighs touching companionably.

"I have to get out to get the soap," Khadgar said after a moment.

Anduin laughed. "That would be for the best." He made no effort to hide the fact that he watched the naked backside of the mage as he climbed out of the water and made his way over to the cupboards.

"There are oils in here," Khadgar called back.

Anduin's breath hitched in his throat. "That wasn't subtle."

"Should I have tried to be?" Khadgar grinned.

He tried to remember how to breathe as the other man slipped back into the water, placing several vials behind them on the marble floor.

"And here I thought you were innocent."

"I read."

"Read?" Anduin scoffed.

"Stand up," Khadgar encouraged.

Anduin gave him a dubious look.

"Don't you trust me?" Khadgar asked, and there was more to it than just that moment, Anduin suddenly realized.

That's what all of this had been about. He thought that he didn't trust him.

And wasn't that exactly like the Kirin Tor?

He put a hand on the younger man's slick shoulder and brought his face close enough that he could feel Khadgar's breath mingling with his own. He made sure their eyes held contact. "Yes," he breathed simply, and stood slowly. The water lapped against his knees as he stared down at wide brown eyes.

Khadgar licked his lips, and Anduin gave him a gentle smile. Hastily, it seemed, Khadgar reached for a bottle, knocking another over in the process, but thankfully it didn't break. He poured liquid into his hands, and proceeded to lather Anduin's erection with oil.

Anduin, for his part, tried not to fall into the water or otherwise break his skull. "Khadgar, what-"

"I want to do more this time," Khadgar said, his eyes dark. He pulled himself up out of the water, droplets falling from his own hard length, and prostrated himself on the towels by the edge of the pool.

Anduin's throat closed, briefly, overcome by the knowledge that this private man, this secretive man, was allowing him into his life in the most intimate way possible. He climbed over Khadgar's legs until he could look him in the eye again. Khadgar gave him a small, nervous smile of encouragement. "I am trusting that you know what to do," he teased.

Without breaking eye contact, Anduin reached for the oil and spilled it over his fingertips. He bent and captured the mage's mouth with his own, splaying his hand over his stomach as he did so and sliding it lower until it nestled in the curve of Khadgar's backside. He worked a finger into him, taking his lower lip between his teeth and gently worrying it until he felt the brush of his tongue. Anduin opened his mouth and allowed Khadgar inside. Khadgar spread his legs further, allowing Anduin to add another digit, and then finally, a third. Khadgar abandoned caressing him with his tongue in favor of gasping into his mouth. With his free hand, Anduin brushed the hair away from his forehead and kissed that, too.

Khadgar bucked his hips up into him, and getting the message, Anduin reached between them and positioned himself, pulling his fingers out to make room for his length. He made sure to grip the other's cock and start pumping before sliding himself inside, agonizingly slowly, until there was no more room for a hand between them. Khadgar had his head thrown back and his hands scrabbled on the floor. Anduin took the one he could reach and placed it on his own backside, earning him a smile. He bent and kissed the other man's throat and carefully began thrusting.

It took a few tries but finally, they caught a rhythm that both enjoyed. It was over too soon for Anduin, pressing his forehead into Khadgar's chest as he came.

The other man was still bucking searchingly against him. He pulled out and grabbed him with a firm hand, maneuvering Khadgar until he was tucked backwards against him, both laying on their sides. The mage's face was flushed and glistening, and he gasped harshly with every thrust. Finally, he too spilled over the soft towels, shuddering into Anduin.

Anduin smiled against his hair and pulled him closer.

Khadgar settled into him.

"Don't send your guards," the mage murmured, long after Anduin thought he had fallen asleep.

#

"Khadgar!" Taria cried happily, waving to them both from across the palace gardens. "You've come to visit. I had hoped that your tower was where my brother had gone."

Khadgar smiled at her, and to Anduin's practiced eye it seemed nervous. He jostled his shoulder good-naturedly.

"I do hope you're here to stay, at least for a short while?"

Khadgar glanced up at Anduin, then gave a short nod.

“Yes,” Anduin confirmed.

Taria clapped happily, and with a pointed look at them both, invited them to dinner.

"Oh, and I'm supposing you won't need lodgings, but...?" Taria sent a far-too-innocent look over her shoulder.

Grinning, Anduin took Khadgar's hand, giving it a bolstering squeeze. He slung his arm companionably over the mage’s shoulder.

"They're taken care of, thank you," Khadgar called.

Taria laughed, and they followed her inside.

 


End file.
